Scaffolding, particularly fabricated frame scaffolding, often uses a pair of planks supported by side brackets hung off of the scaffolding frame which, together with successive and overlapping pairs of planks, form a walkway. Fabricated frame scaffolding systems may also be known as a welded tube scaffold systems, or fabricated tubular frame scaffold systems. When work is completed at one level, workers often need to raise or lower the walkway. This is done by raising or lowering the planks that form the walkway.
The traditional means of raising planks is by having one worker stand on the end of the next pair of planks in the walkway and lift the planks to be raised. A second worker, standing on the scaffolding, raises a side bracket near the middle of the planks, and attaches it to the scaffolding at approximately half the distance between the current height of the walkway and the desired height. The first worker then lowers the end of the planks to be raised to the level of the current walkway, using the side bracket as a fulcrum. This forces the far end of the planks to the new level. The second worker fixes a side bracket at the height of second end of the planks. The first worker raises the end of the planks to the same height as the new side bracket, while the second worker moves the middle side bracket to the desired height. Each successive pair of planks is raised in this manner until the last pair of planks is reached.
When the worker reaches the last pair of planks, because there is no next pair of planks on which to stand, the first worker must use the end of the scaffolding as a ladder and struggle to maintain his position while lifting and moving a pair of planks which typically weighs 120 lbs. This manner of raising scaffolding is extremely hazardous, and too many workers are injured when they are unable to both maintain their position and maneuver the planks.
Thus, there is a need for a support platform on which a worker can stand while raising the last pair of planks in the walkway. There is further a need for this place to stand to be easy to move and to provide protection against falls.